Study Shows Cosmetic Surgery Is as Safe for Older and Younger Adults
Plastic surgery is becoming increasingly popular among adults over the age of 65. The reason for this rise in popularity might be that adults are living longer, healthier lives and would like their outward appearance to match their youthful energy. Whatever the case, this increased popularity of plastic surgery among older individuals raises the question: Is cosmetic surgery as safe for older patients as it is for younger ones? The answer is a resounding “yes!”
Dr. Sugene Kim of SGK Plastic Surgery is happy to report that adults over the age of 65 who undergo cosmetic surgery have complication rates similar to those of younger patients who undergo the same procedures. In other words, cosmetic surgery can be as safe for older patients as it is for younger ones. Keep reading to find out more!
About the Study Findings
At the annual meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), a researcher shared the findings of a recent study that focused on the safety of plastic surgery for seniors. The study findings indicated that, when performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon, patients over 65 years old shared low complication rates, similar to those of their younger counterparts.
For instance, elderly plastic surgery patients had a 1.94-percent rate of surgical complications, as compared to the 1.84-percent complication rate that younger patients had. Statistically, the difference in the complication rates among the two groups of patients is insignificant.
In addition, these similar complication rates occurred in spite of the fact that the elderly patients had a higher incidence of health-related problems than the younger patients. These included a higher body mass index (BMI) and incidence of diabetes. The elderly patients had an average BMI of 25.4 versus an average BMI of 24.2 percent among the younger patients. The seniors also had a 5.7-percent incidence of diabetes in contrast to a 1.6-percent incidence of diabetes among the younger patients. However, not all the health implications were negative: The older patients smoked less than the younger ones.
Also, patients over the age of 80 only suffered a 2.2-percent complication rate, which is also statistically insignificant in comparison to the other groups’ complication rates. Overall, the study illustrated the safety of plastic surgery among patients of nearly any age.
Are You an Older Individual Considering Cosmetic Surgery?
If you are an older individual who is considering undergoing a cosmetic surgery procedure that you have long desired, don’t hesitate to learn more.
To schedule a consultation with the Woodlands / Katy plastic surgeon Dr. Kim to learn more about your plastic surgery treatment options, please contact SGK Plastic Surgery by calling (281) 363-4546 today.